B0955
Title: An application of unit-level gamma mixed model to SLCS data
Authors: Tomas Hobza - Czech Technical University in Prague (Czech Republic) [presenting]
Yolanda Marhuenda - Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche (Spain)
Domingo Morales - University Miguel Hernandez of Elche (Spain)
Abstract: Empirical best predictors (EBPs) and plug-in estimators of small area indicators under a unit-level gamma mixed model are considered. The maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters are obtained by maximizing the Laplace approximation to the model log-likelihood. The behavior of the introduced EBPs and plug-in estimators is studied by a Monte-Carlo simulation experiment. A procedure for bootstrap estimation of the mean squared errors is proposed. Finally, an application of the studied EBPs to data from 2013 Spanish living conditions surveys (SLCS) is presented. The target is to compare the presented gamma mixed model for income variable with the nested error regression model applied to log transformation of the income variable.
